Massachusetts Delegation Forwards Letter from Governor Baker about Dire Impact of Trump's Health Care Sabotage to the White House

Tuesday, October 24, 2017

Baker's Letter Notes that Premium Costs in the Commonwealth are Set to Spike 26%

Delegation to Trump: Premium Increases "Due Directly to your Actions"

Washington (October 24, 2017) - The Massachusetts congressional delegation, including United States Senators Elizabeth Warren and Edward J. Markey, and Representatives Richard Neal, James McGovern, Michael Capuano, Stephen F. Lynch, Niki Tsongas, William Keating, Joseph P. Kennedy III, Katherine Clark and Seth Moulton, today sent the White House a letter from Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker. The Governor's letter to the delegation, received last Thursday, highlights the dire impacts that ending funding for the Affordable Care Act's cost-sharing reduction (CSR) payments will have on Massachusetts residents.

Governor Baker's letter includes an update on the Massachusetts health care marketplace, the Connector, which covers 257,000 individuals in Massachusetts, and notes that premium costs in the Commonwealth are set to spike 26%. The Governor's letter also notes that 80,000 Massachusetts residents will have no protection from these higher premiums because they are not eligible for premium tax credits.

While Governor Baker's letter references a "lack of affirmative congressional action" as a factor leading to these premium increases, the delegation's cover letter to President Trump, sent along with Governor Baker's letter, lays the blame for higher premiums squarely on the President. The letter states that Massachusetts premium increases are "due directly to your actions" and points out that many constituents "will experience rate increases that are more than three times higher than had you continued these payments."

The delegation also urges the President to reverse course: "Your efforts to sabotage the Affordable Care Act have real consequences for families in Massachusetts and across the country... It is time for you to look beyond politics and support sensible, bipartisan efforts to reduce-not increase-health care costs for our constituents and for all Americans. Reversing your decision to cut off these vital CSR payments should be your first step."